This Isn't Budapest
by 1yellowfish
Summary: Clint's mind is all a-jumble during that fight. Here's a look inside his mind. Flashbacks. Friendship/brother (sister) in arms with Natasha. Stream of consciousness. Rated for swearing and imagery.


I just thought it'd be interesting to look inside Clint's head during that last battle, also, Natasha hit's hard so it's not inconceivable that he'd have a concussion that'll make things more interesting ... right.

So here's a stream of consciousness complete with flashbacks and technically AU because I took liberties, of Clint during the Budapest scene where he and Tasha are fighting together against Loki's army.

* * *

Right, so you have two guns, I have six arrows, and the world is ending. Great.

Also our very odd friends and our very under weaponized selves have to save the planet from, well, you know, ending. This is just peachy.

Holy fuck, that monster almost took off your head. Why the hell are you laughing? This sucks. If by some miracle we survive I'm never going anywhere with you again, your freaking insane!

_The middle of the urban jungle complex hidden among the factories abandoned warehouses and not so secret brothels giggling like mad and completely high off of the successful rescue. Sure we'll run cover fire, get the helicopter off the ground; we'll make it through the city on our own, chased by two crime families, the secret police, and a rogue agent out to kill us … perfect plan. We're probably going to die, might as well die laughing_

Shit, did you see that! I shot that flying one into that huge group over there and they exploded! Also, I'm not grinning. Ok maybe I am a little, but come on, you have to admit that was cool. When they make me write the report I'm claiming that was intentional, they're already in awe of me, stuff like that makes me invaluable. I'll probably need to be invaluable after inadvertently bringing down the base. Mind control sucks.

Shake it off buddy, you're working now.

Ow.

_bullet whizzed by head, twang of the bow string one down out of an unknown number, we're surrounded, beep,beep,beep, bomb … run, we gotta run!_

Violent head shaking is still a bad idea. Did you have to hit me so hard to wake me up? Honestly woman, I think there was a little too much joy in your work at that moment. Next time let the Captain do it. He'll only hit hard enough to wake me up and still apologize for the headache. Cap's a stand up kind of guy.

Did you just throw one of your guns?

Oh you had another one … where were you even hiding it?

I'm down to four arrows. There's about a million of these things. I cannot kill a million indestructible monsters with four arrows. Maybe a hundred.

New goal, kill one hundred and ten with last four arrows. Should be fun.

Hey, you feeling a little abandoned here? I mean there are six of us and I haven't seen anyone but you for the last ten minutes. Not that you aren't wonderful to look at but honestly … it's disconcerting. Maybe I'm being a little green here but I would love it if anyone took a minute to check in. Double click on the radio, random flyby, since two of them can you know, fly. You know how useful it would be to be able to fly as an archer? Seriously, I have to climb so many buildings, so many random pipes, so many stairs when I'm being conventional.

Duck!

Damn, that explosion was pretty … but aimed at us so that's bad. You alright?

_dust clearing, rubble pinning me down, no too warm, you, your pinning me down, get up get up they'll catch us, why aren't you moving, gotta go_

Hey? Where are you? Come on, don't be lost I can't lose you here? I refuse to be the only vulnerable one on this team, it's bad for my ego?

Hell, I can't see anything, why do explosions necessarily include dust and smoke, and inability to breath.

Ah thank you gun fire. Your guns … wait, did you have another spare? Where the hell are you even keeping them? Seriously, do you have some room for extra arrows too, because I'm down to two.

And you're laughing again. Did you hit your head?

_blood pouring from the open wound, soaking through to my chest, have to get you out, have to get you to safety_

Someone just killed something big, the numbers thinned. Come on, better ground, better defenses. Thank you for not pulling out of my hold. I need to know you are safe. I need to feel your pulse.

_The tiny utility room is dark. I can't turn on the light for fear of being caught. My shirt is ruined, but it's keeping the blood in your head. Wake up dammit. I have to get you home. You have to wake up because I'm losing blood too. I don't want to complain or anything but honestly I carried you here, you should be required to carry me to our next port. OK? Deal? Fine, you sleep but if I lose my arm to infection I'm suing you._

His army is regrouping below us; I take the shot, ha! At least sixty. Bombs are cool. Well when they're my bombs. And I'm controlling them. And no one's controlling me.

One arrow left.

You're on your last bullets.

You're still grinning.

Stop laughing please.

_You're laughing, but your still out of it. Wake up dammit. Shut up! You're going to give us away. Please please, be quiet. You have to be quiet. Footsteps coming towards us. No,no,nononononono! I press you into the corner and you stop giggling. Please be unconscious, don't be dead. I shove a box in front of you as the door is flung wide. I don't have time to grab my bow, an arrow will have to do. Clenched in a hurry I turn to the open door, the light almost blinding, and lunge. CRACK_

Thank you flying team mate. Look, ammunition. Four more arrows. And, they're gone. I'm assuming they were actually here since you're reloading but would it be too much to ask for a nod or some radio contact. Not like it's the end of the world of anything. Honestly.

_Baseball bat meet shoulder. I didn't scream honest, it was surprise. Since when does the mob use bats when they're trying to kill? Oh. Not the mob. Not the government, nope, that is what we call a prostitute. Why is a prostitute attacking me? You start giggling again, I push between the two of you, she can't hurt you either. I must have lost more blood than I thought, She pushed me off like I was nothing. Everything's going fuzzy, but it might just be the concussion. Yea, that makes sense. She's pulling you loose from the corner. Damn she's strong. I stumble along after you. She's probably taking us to her mob boyfriend. We're so dead._

Shot, 40. Shot, 3. Lame.

Him. It's his army I'm destroying but there he is. Shot! … he … he caught it.

_This is a bed room. There's another prostitute in here, her face is a mess. This is where the broken prostitutes come … you're not a prostitute. We should leave. Who knows how they'll want us to pay. Not that I mind skipping out on a bill, but honestly they have almost nothing, I'd probably feel bad about it. Or feel like I should feel bad about it. Might pretend to be Catholic to find out if I should feel bad about it.*\_

Good thing I used the exploding tip.

Damn.

Didn't kill him. Got a good fifteen others in his army though. Even a couple flyers.

You're laughing again.

_you're giggling._

Why must you always laugh mid-battle, but never at my jokes? Why must there be blood and gore for you to crack a smile?

_The prostitute is whispering to you … no with you, you're awake! How long have you been awake? How did she realize before me? I jerk out of the chair they managed to put under me before I passed out. Hey look, my arm's bandaged, cool. Let's go. Can you walk? Well you're standing, that's a good sign. No don't touch her, we have to go, she can't sleep it off! Apparently I'm frightening. They gave us our weapons. Only four guys guarding this facility. We're closer to the rendezvous than I thought. Alright, you ready for this? Because it doesn't matter we've got no choice._

"Reminds me of Budapest!" you call grinning wildly as you shoot without looking. I see four drop.

_There's blood in your eyes. We had planned to take them by surprise, but all four are here now, the prostitute is hiding behind the bed. The 'doctor' is pulling the injured prostitute off the bed. There are guns. I can't work my bow holding you up and with a bum arm. Bang, bangbangbangbang. They drop. You couldn't see them but, why were there five shots? You collapse. No, No! nononono! Too much blood. Too much. You giggle. Blood in the corner of your mouth. Gut shot wound. This is bad on so many levels. Stop giggling damn it!_

Budapest … really.

_You're holding the gun loosely in your right hand, so I'll put my faith in you that you believe you can still shoot. I have to use my arms to carry you. Fuck it hurts. You aren't heavy; don't give me that look, my arm feels like it's ripping slowly out of its socket. The prostitute with the baseball bat runs ahead and flings the door open. It's sunny. It should be dark and rainy but it's bright and a beautiful day. It's so wrong it makes me pause, only for an instant though. I have to get you to the rendezvous, it's your only chance._

You're grinning at me. I can feel the corner of my lips turn against my will.

_There's the helicopter. Stay awake._

_Fuck, I can hear them behind us. Don't look back. Just keep running._

_I can run so much faster than this._

_A chunk of asphalt explodes next to us. Guns. Well I was expecting guns. Doesn't mean I like them. I look at your gun still on your chest. Your hand has let go though. No. Wake UP! WAKE UP DAMMIT!_

Forty-eight hours in Budapest was so much worse than this. You stopped giggling. We didn't have back up. No one brought us ammunition. I was alone.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently."

But you're giggling now, and that's enough. Please don't stop. Everything's a little fuzzy. Probably the concussion, but I need you to keep laughing. Budapest was so much worse without your laughter.

* * *

Inspired from reddit - /r/writingprompts

r/WritingPrompts/comments/1hwknx/ff_1000_words_or_ more_48_hours_weve_been_through/

"Two characters in a very bad situation that flashback to a time when things were a lot worse. 48 hours, 1000 words or more. Have a ball!"


End file.
